I first saw The Ex in November 1986, in a pub in Oxford, before Andy Moor joined Terrie Ex on guitar.
I liked noise. But The Ex’s noise was about something, a crafted and constructed sequence of intense moments and sustained power; and there were spaces for the band to surprise themselves. On the way home, I felt like I’d been thoroughly told off, and I resolved to be a better person. This lasted for a day or so, but as a generation of listeners grew conditioned to the rock reflex, and driven into the stormy seas of free jazz and free improvisation, so it seemed The Ex did to, and my tastes, for one, have expanded under the band members’ ongoing influences.
Ken Vandermark is the perfect player to defeat the prejudices of free jazz skeptics. The Chicago saxophonist looks like a US Marines drill sergeant on his day off, here to do a Job Of Work. Vandermark does not play as of involved in namby-pamby philosophical negotiations with abstract ideas of transcendence. He has targets to meet and will achieve them by whatever means are most effective on that particular date. I imagine he’d call men Sir and women Ma’am, and I don’t want to know any different.
As we left a Peter Brotzmann performance at Café Oto last February, my wife told me Paal Nilssen-Love’s closing drum freak-out was the single most amazing performance she had ever seen in her life. As she did so, a man butted in for an autograph because I am a mid-table British comedian. The moment immediately compromised, my wife railed at me about how our relationship could not survive such rare epiphanies being consistently spoiled by these apparently unavoidable interruptions, and I had to spend the night at a service station off the M25. Nilssen-Love’s was the drum solo that nearly cost me my marrage. And that’s jazz!
Historically and musically, Lean Left squares the circle, two different approaches to the same end result meeting head on, accommodating without compromising, learning, and driving each other forward to excesses of profound absurdity. I was at the first of the shows documented here.
Jazz theorizing be damned. It was like being eighteen again.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk